the appetizer:

Though the Middle East has many specific regional and national cuisines, one item ties them all together: aromatic spices. Middle Eastern cooking also features many ingredients in common, like pita, honey, sesame seeds, sumac, chickpeas, mint and parsley.

Middle East

Arabian Delights

The Arabian Delights cookbook brings together in one volume the extensive repertoire of Middle Eastern cookery. These authentic recipes will send you on a magic carpet ride through the exotic spice bazaars, traditional grills and lavish feasts. Besides presenting the basic recipes of each land, the author includes a variety of alternative ways these dishes might be served in each different country.

Anne Marie Weiss-Armush, the author, lived in Saudi Arabia for eleven years and traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, developing a love of Arab culture and collecting the precious recipes of these healthy and hearty cuisines. She is also the author of Arabian Cuisine and has lectured on Arab culture at the Smithsonian Institution. Her articles on Middle Eastern cookery have appeared in the Saudi Gazette, the Arab News, and the Dallas Morning News. She lives with her husband and three children in Dallas.